Aramaic word · H8036

שֻׁם

shum-

name

'Name.' In the phrase 'X, his name' it is a fixed way of introducing a person in Aramaic legal and administrative writing.

A Biblical Aramaic word, from the parts of the Old Testament written in Aramaic. Why Aramaic?

Appears 12 times in 10 verses of the Aramaic of the Old Testament. ·

What it means

name

Aramaic of shem (שֵׁם "name" H8034)

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Ezra 5:14

Range of meaning

'Name.' In the phrase 'X, his name' it is a fixed way of introducing a person in Aramaic legal and administrative writing.

Against the English

KJV and WEB have '[one] whose name [was] Sheshbazzar.' BSB has 'a man named Sheshbazzar.' Both are correct. The KJV keeps the documentary flavour.

Used elsewhere in the period

Similar 'his name' formulas are common in the Aramaic papyri from Elephantine. Ezra 5:4 and 5:10 use the related word šum in the same letter ('the names of the men').

From the study of Daniel 2:20

Range of meaning

Name: a person's designation. It also means their reputation and renown, and the person himself as made known and called on. 'Blessing the name' means praising God as he has revealed himself.

Against the English

In modern English a name is mainly a label. In the ancient Near East a name carried identity, fame, and authority. Kings set up their 'name' on monuments, and Israel's God made his 'name' dwell in the temple (Deut 12:5).

How it drifted

Modern naming practice (names chosen for sound, with little link to identity) makes 'name' feel like an outside tag rather than the person's revealed self.

Used elsewhere in the period

Aramaic šum appears in Dan 2:26; 4:8 (5); 5:12; Ezra 5:1, 14. The Hebrew counterpart šēm is central to the 'name theology' of Deuteronomy and the Psalms. Mesopotamian royal inscriptions talk constantly about establishing the king's 'name' (Akkadian šumu).

Where it appears

Ezra · 6

  1. Ezra 5:1 בְּשֻׁ֛ם in [the] name of

    Later, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them.

  2. Ezra 5:4 שְׁמָהָ֣ת [the] names of

    They also asked, “What are the names of the men who are constructing this building?”

  3. Ezra 5:10 שְׁמָהָתְהֹ֛ם שֻׁם־ names their, [the] name of

    We also asked for their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.

  4. Ezra 5:14 שְׁמֵ֔הּ name his

    He also removed from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver articles belonging to the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken and carried there from the temple in Jerusalem. King Cyrus gave these articles to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he appointed governor

    Here: 'His name [was].' This is the formula Aramaic official documents use to introduce a person: 'one Sheshbazzar by name.' It implies Darius would not know who he was.

  5. Ezra 6:12 שְׁמֵ֣הּ name his

    May God, who has caused His Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to alter this decree or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued the decree. Let it be carried out with diligence.

    Here: "His name". In the ancient Near East, putting your name on a place claimed it as yours and marked it as where you could be called on. The name stood for the god's ownership and his reputation there.

Daniel · 6

  1. Daniel 2:20 שְׁמֵ֤הּ name his

    and declared: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him.

    Here: 'His name.' The 'his' points ahead to 'God' (Aramaic idiom: 'his name, that of God' = 'God's name'). In the biblical world a name stands for the person himself: his reputation, his character as people know it, his presence when called on.

  2. Daniel 2:26 שְׁמֵ֖הּ name his

    The king responded to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to tell me what I saw in the dream, as well as its interpretation?”

  3. Daniel 4:8 שְׁמֵ֤הּ כְּשֻׁ֣ם name his, like [the] name of

    But at last, into my presence came Daniel (whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods). And I told him the dream:

    Here: 'His name.' In the ancient world a name given by an overlord stood for belonging and a new identity at court (see 1:7).

  4. Daniel 4:19 שְׁמֵ֣הּ name his

    For a time, Daniel, who was also known as Belteshazzar, was perplexed, and his thoughts alarmed him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.” “My lord,” replied Belteshazzar, “may the dream apply to those who hate you, and its interpretation to your enemies!

    Here: 'His name'. In a royal court your name was your official identity. Belteshazzar was the name the empire gave Daniel (1:7; 4:8).

  5. Daniel 5:12 שְׁמֵ֖הּ name his

    did this because Daniel, the one he named Belteshazzar, was found to have an extraordinary spirit, as well as knowledge, understanding, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Summon Daniel, therefore, and he will give you the interpretation.”

    Here: 'His name'. Literally 'whose name the king set as Belteshazzar'.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.